PS4 so expensive in Brazil due to import taxes, says Sony
63 percent of Brazil's astronomical PS4 price tag comes from import taxes and fees, according to Sony Computer Entertainment America. Following uproar over the next-gen console costing around $1,800 USD in the country, Sony moved to clarify the various contributors to that figure.
General Manager for Latin America Marc Stanley broke down the price on the PS Blog, noting 15.5 percent came from retailer markups and 21.5 percent from a "PS4 transfer price" equivalent to $390, roughly the console's asking price in North America.
"We have read thousands of your comments and heard your frustration loud and clear about the PlayStation 4 retail price of R$3,999 in Brazil," Stanley wrote (via a translation provided to Joystiq by a Sony representative). "We want to emphasize that it isn't in the interest of Sony Computer Entertainment America to sell PS4 units at this high retail price, as it's not good for our gamers and it's not good for the PlayStation brand."
Stanley said SCEA will continue to discuss the import taxes with government agencies as it seeks to bring down the PS4's price. He added SCEA is looking ahead to "the opportunity" of manufacturing the console locally which would significantly reduce the price, although he didn't note when that would or could happen. SCEA began production of PS3 units in the country in May of this year, some three years after the console was launched there at a similarly wallet-breaking price.
